Iron fence



(No Model.) V

J. W OODHILL & J. OGORMAN. Iron-Pence.

No. 230,727. Patented Aug. 3,1880.

UNITED STATES PATENT Eric-E.

JOHN WOODHILL AND JAMES OGORMAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO IRON FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 230,727, dated August 3, 1880.

Application filed June 21, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN \VOODHILL and JAMES OGORMAN, of Cleveland,in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new 'and useful Improvements in Fences; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear. and exact description of the in veution such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in iron fences; and it consists in attaching the rails to the pickets by making recesses in the two opposite edges and fastening them to the rail by means of pron ged balls which fit in the recesses and have their prongs extended down through openings in the rails, which prongs are then bent or clinched against the upper side of the rail, so as to hold it rigidly in position.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same.

A represents a wrought-iron picket, preferably made square, as here shown, and which has a recess, B, formed in two of its opposite edges. These recesses, where the fence is to be built on horizontal ground, are made just opposite each other; but where the fence is to be built upon uneven ground, one recess will be made higher than the other,just in proportion to the inclination of the ground.

The rail O has an opening made through it for each picket, and which opening corresponds to the shape of the picket, and is placed at an angle to thelength of the picket instead of a straight line therewith. In each of the corners of this opening, which are in a line with the length of the rail, there is made a small recess, D, through which the prong Gr of the ball H is passed. This ball fits in the recess made in the edge of the rail, and has its prongs to extend down through the rail, as shown. One of these balls is placed in each recess, and the prong of each ball is passed down through the rail, and after the rail has been moved tightly against the underside of the ball the prongis bentor clinched up against the under side of the rail as tightly as possible, so as to throw the rail upward toward the ball. These balls being rigidly held in the recesses by means of the rail, 'ust in proportion as the prong is bent or clinched against the under side of the rail so will the rail be rigidly locked to the picket.

As before stated, where the fence is placed upon level ground these recesses will be just opposite each other, and the rail will be locked in a horizontal position; but where the fence is to be built upon inclined ground the rail will be inclined correspondingly, and will be locked rigidly in place equally as well whether in an inclined or horizontal position.

The spear-head I is made of cast-iron, and has a socket made in its lower end to receive the upper end of the picket.

Extending downward from just under the center of the point of the head or spear is the dowel-pin O, which reaches to within about one-eighth of an inch to the top of the socket, and against the lower end of this pin the upper end of the picket strikes when the headis placed in position.

Through the head, at the upper end of the socket, there are made slight openings 1%, through which the two opposite corners of the pickets extend, and which corners can be riveted or hammered down over the top of the head, so as to lock the head rigidly upon the picket.

Heretofore, in attaching a cast-iron head or spear-point, where the head has been cast upon the picket, there has always been a tendency of the two parts to separate, and the head has been very easily broken off.

By means of this construction a wroughtiron picket and a cast-iron spear-head can be rigidly secured together at very little expense and trouble.

Having thus described our invention, we claim- 1. ,The combination of the picket having recesses in its opposite edges, with the rail and the pronged balls, substantially as shown.

2. In iron fences, the combination of a picket having the recesses in its two opposite edges, a rail for uniting the pickets together and having an extension in the opening on each In testimony that we claim the foregoing we side of the two recessed edges of the picket, have hereunto set our hands this 9th day of 10 and the balls which fit in the recesses and June,1880.

having their prongs to project down through JOHN WOODHILL. the rail, and which prongs are clinched or JAMES OGORMAN. bent outward against the under side of the Witnesses:

rail, so as to lock it rigidly in place, snbstan- A. G. CARPENTER,

tially as shown. ALBERT LAURENCE. 

